Tchaikovsky's Iolanta & Puccini's Gianni Schicchi

The Maryland Opera Studio presents a double bill of one-act operas by two of history’s most influential composers, exploring the complexities of familial bonds and the human condition.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s last opera, Iolanta, tells the story of a princess who, blind from birth, has been kept hidden from the world by her father. Iolanta is not aware of her blindness; but all that changes when a mysterious knight arrives in the magical rose garden she calls home. This fairytale-esque lyric opera reflects on love and truth in a dreamy setting, and is a hidden gem of Tchaikovsky’s repertoire.

Based on the influential families from medieval Italy who were immortalized in Dante's “Inferno,” Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi is a comic opera following the story of a family in mourning. After the passing of their rich relative, the family members are eager to see what he has bequeathed them, but when they find out he has given everything to a monastery, they are left in disarray. The family seeks help from Gianni Schicchi to change the will, but each person, including Schicchi, has their own agenda, resulting in a witty, satirical tale that pokes fun at human greed and hypocrisy.

Iolanta will be performed in Russian with English supertitles. Gianni Schicchi will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.